Bethany Donaphin '98 Helps Guide the WNBA's Leading Role in Social Justice Efforts
Horace Mann School alum Bethany Donaphin '98 is a leader among today's professional athletes engaged in pursuing social justice.
Horace Mann School alum Bethany Donaphin '98 is a leader among today's professional athletes engaged in pursuing social justice.
A former center for the New York Liberty basketball team—after starring on the girls and women's varsity basketball teams at HM and at Stanford University, as well as on team overseas—Donaphin is now Head of League Operations for the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). This position sees her assisting every team in the league with players' equity activism. WNBA athletes are at the forefront of this effort, with a social justice focus intrinsic to the history of the league, now celebrating its first quarter century.
As Donaphin explains, "By virtue of being a women's league that is predominantly (80%) black, with LGBTQ representation," the pursuit of social justice has always been part of "the league's DNA." Taking action was particularly important to WNBA athletes last season, in response to the double pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism. Playing in the "Wubble" in Bradenton, FL, due to COVID-19 health restrictions, WNBA athletes committed their season to raising awareness of police violence against black and brown women. At pre-game warm-ups, players donned black T-shirts commemorating Breonna Taylor's life and death as part of the #SayHerName campaign. The athletes continued their activism by suspending play the night of Jacob Blake's shooting on August 23, 2020, and demonstrated the "powerful impact" of collective action through their support for Rev. Raphael Warnock's successful run for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat, Donaphin added.
As Head of League Operations Donaphin has been responsible for responding to the logistic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, while simultaneously leading the strategic development of the WNBA's social justice platform. The alum also serves as representative to the league's Social Justice Council, formed last year, to cultivate designated spaces for community conversations and undertake actions to address "this country's long history of inequality, implicit bias and systemic racism that has targeted black and brown communities."
As WNBA Head of League Operations, Donaphin oversees all on-court basketball operations, including managing rule changes, enforcing conduct standards, evaluating game officials, and applying analytics and innovation on the game's future. Along with developing the league's social justice work, she also leads the administration of player-related policies and programs, and furthers partnership with USA Basketball, the NCAA, and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association to promote the growth of women's basketball.
She remains connected with HM, speaking at the school's October 2020 Virtual Homecoming, inspiring students in the HM-affiliated Summer on the Hill program, and participating in a podcast produced by current HM students.
"Bethany Donaphin's work at the top of the athletic world, together with her focus on social justice, is a source of pride to Horace Mann School. It inspires our community's deep commitment to this work," said Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly. "We greatly appreciate Bethany's continued connection with our school. The examples set by our alums are incredibly meaningful to current students, and to HM families of every era."